Locked in the Cabinet.
Walsh, Maureen A.
ROBERT B. REICH, Locked in the Cabinet (New York: Knopf, 1997), 338
pp., $25.00 cloth (ISBN 0-375-40064-8).
Robert Reich, secretary of labor during the first Clinton
administration, tells the story of his travel from academic to top
administrator of a Cabinet-level agency in an informative and humorous
manner. The book is divided by year, beginning with the campaign of 1992
and ending with his resignation just prior to the 1996 presidential
election. It provides readers with insight into both the inner workings
of government and the toll that it can take on personal lives.
This memoir uses a diary format, which allows the author to present
his beliefs, his attempts to make policy, and the underlying politics
that plagued those attempts. Reich shares his frustrations with his lack
of access to the "presidential ear," his plots to circumvent the White House chain of command, and the various devices he used to be
"in the loop," often leaving him to button-hole whomever was
in the parking lot. Throughout this book, Reich openly admits to his
naivete in dealing with "Beltway" politics. He seemed
genuinely disheartened to realize that although he was in charge,
bureaucrats and spin doctors were the real decision makers as well as
the ones relied on to implement any policies developed.
Reich is able to provide a real sense of life in the Clinton White
House. The pressures and decision-making processes required by the
Executive branch in its relationship with Congress, unions, and the
people it is designed to serve are highlighted with frankness. Although
Reich is a friend of Clinton's from his Oxford University days, he
gives a seemingly honest appraisal of Clinton's positives and
negatives without degenerating into a "tell all" account. He
also alludes to a real difference in the 1992 campaign compared to the
1996 campaign. Readers even get a sense of reactions to the reemergence
of Dick Morris and his style, if not influence.
Because the book is a memoir, it carries the writer's bias,
detailing events as he viewed them. Reich provides incredible insight
into the making of public policy at the highest levels. He presents
strong examples of how the very best of intentions can cause disastrous
results when the politics is neglected. Reich takes readers back through
some of the major events during his term such as the closing down of the
federal government and the impact of such events on the policies and
people in labor and in society. His description of preparing for his
confirmation hearings was both funny and frightening in terms of the
practice of government and politics.
Reich also devotes a great deal of space to his internal conflict
of family verse work. As with any diary, almost every entry contains
something about his family. He talks about family members' dislike
of Washington, D.C., the suspension of their lives required by his
commitment to Clinton, and the intense loneliness when they returned to
Boston. In the end, he chooses to involve himself in the growth of his
children rather than to continue his all-consuming position as secretary
of labor. This struggle between work and family life is an important
inclusion because it is all too frequently forgotten that any position
of power comes with a price.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in
government, particularly those involved in public administration. It
provides a window into the inner workings of the presidency, unions, and
government agencies. The author's family work conflict contains
lessons for anyone aspiring to a public service career. The
self-effacing style that helped him through his time in the Cabinet also
works very well as he relates his experiences to readers.
MAUREEN A. WALSH
Former Director NYC Elections Project
